The present invention relates generally to a device and system for determining the status of a vehicle and transmitting associated data. More particularly, the present invention relates to a portable device for measuring data associated with vehicle movement and position, determining an unsafe driving status possibly associated with speeding, unstable driving conditions, an accident or other notable event, and transmitting data or alerts based on the determined status and/or measured data.
Vehicular accidents are one of the leading causes of fatalities in the U.S., causing over one hundred fatalities daily. In 2007 alone, more than 43,100 deaths resulted from 10.6 million accidents. For every 100 licensed teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19, there will be 21 traffic accidents, making such accidents the leading cause of death for that age group in the U.S.
A number of technological and sociological improvements have helped reduce vehicle-related fatalities. For example, each 1% increase in seatbelt usage is estimated to save 136 lives. Advanced life saving measures, such as electronic stability control, also show significant promise for reducing injuries. Crash analysis studies have shown the approximately 34% of fatal traffic accidents could have been prevented with the use of electronic stability control. Moreover, each minute that an injured crash victim does not receive emergency medical care can make a large difference in their survival rate. Analysis shows that reducing accident response time by one minute correlates to a 6% difference in the number of lives saved.
An effective approach for reducing fatalities, therefore, is to reduce the time between when an accident occurs and when first responders, such as medical personnel, are dispatched to the scene of the accident. Automatic collision notification systems use sensors embedded in a car to determine when an accident has occurred. These systems immediately dispatch emergency medical personnel to serious accidents. It has been shown that automatic crash notification on average reduces fatalities by 6%.
Conventional vehicular sensor systems for accident detection, such as for example BMW's Automatic Crash Notification System or GM's OnStar, notify a call monitoring center immediately by utilizing built-in cellular radios and detect car accidents with in-vehicle sensors, such as accelerometers and airbag deployment monitors. The call center subsequently contacts a public safety answering point (i.e., 911) which then notifies and dispatches emergency responders.
Unfortunately, most cars in the U.S. do not have automatic accident detection and notification systems. Only in 2007 did automatic notification systems become standard options in GM vehicles and most other non-luxury manufacturers do not include these systems as a standard option. Based on 2007 traffic accident data, automatic traffic accident detection and notification systems could have saved 2,460 lives (i.e., 6% of 41,000 fatalities) had they been in universal use. A key impediment to including these systems is that they are infeasible or prohibitively expensive to install in existing vehicles and add to the initial cost of new vehicles. Moreover, these systems can be rendered obsolete, as evidenced by GM removing 500,000 subscribers from the OnStar service because they were equipped with analog (rather than digital) communications systems and were therefore incompatible with their newer communications systems.